


Can we keep him?

by zenexit



Series: Winter HalBarry week 2018 [2]
Category: DCU, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, HalBarry Week, Halbarry winter week 2018, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-09-12 14:33:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16874673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zenexit/pseuds/zenexit
Summary: Day 2: LaughterHal comes home with a puppy, and Barry wishes he could be mad.





	Can we keep him?

**Author's Note:**

> I've just accepted being a day behind at this point whoops. This one I couldn't stop thinking about Hal picking up a stray dog for his honey.  
> Also Barry I'm sorry I made you so tired again

“Say hello to my little friend.”

Brightly colored bags of dog food stretched down the aisles. There was too many names to even begin to read, all boasting how good for your dogs they were on the side. Bragging lists of ingredients and prices that only moved upwards, Barry felt his eyes glazing over. He didn’t dislike dogs, not by any means, but he wasn’t quite sure where to even begin with them. 

Loud clacking of a cart came behind them, Hal happily talking to the dog in the front part. He had already slid in a new dog bed for the puppy he had brought home. 

It had been after work, Barry stretched out on the couch highlighting and writing tiredly into the paperwork in front of him. The amount of cases that were back logging needing lab worker was ridiculous and Barry was forced to work after hours on paperwork catch up. It was then Hal had come home and dumped the dog in his laps. He hadn’t said any words, but had smiled ear from ear anyway.

“Hey Barry, guess what?” Hal had asked, like it wasn’t obvious.

Barry scrambled to get his paperwork out of his hands before the dog’s claws and muddy paws marked it up. She was already trying to lick his face, acting like they were old friends and not complete strangers.

“Hal, where did the do-” Barry began.

“She was on the side of the road! Just walking along like she didn’t have a care in the world, like she couldn’t have been hit by a car.” Hal said and scooped the dog off of Barry so he could shake his papers clean.

“And you don’t think she has a home?” Barry asked, sounding more irritated than he actually was. He knew he should be, he knew he should tell Hal that they should never get a dog they couldn’t promise to take care of. But he really couldn’t bring himself to hold that anger in.

“I brought her to the pound!” Hal bragged while the dog chewed happily on his hands.

She was a stinky little thing, hair long and scraggly like a webkinz. Maybe that was because she was dirty, or maybe she was just a wry little thing. Her fur was matted and muddy, her whole body stinking. Barry had felt her bones when he had held her before, and he sighed listening to Hal. His eyes were large and sparkling, as if he held every drop of light in the world in that moment.

Barry looked at the dog again, it’s tong flapping out happily as it kept gnawing on Hal. she loved him already, but he couldn’t really blame her. 

“And?” Barry asked, reaching forward to pat her. If he wasn’t so tired he knew he would be more excited right now. She wiggled her head happily to lick at his hands. Barry felt his heart warm a bit now, and if he had a love meter he was sure it would be charging up right now.

“She’s not tagged and no one has reported a dog like her missing. Guy at the pound said she was probably someone’s dogs puppies they couldn’t get rid of. Isn’t that horrible?” Hal pouted then, right on cue. Barry could have laughed with how well rehearsed the whole thing felt. 

“I’m not buying any of the stuff for her.” Barry began. Hal was already beaming again.

“That’s fine, I can afford it!” Hal all but cheered.

“And you have to walk her--” Barry began listing things on his hands. 

“I’ve had a dog before Barry!” Hal yelled, grabbing his boyfriend and crushing him against his chest. 

Barry could feel the little dog happily wiggling between them, her tail bouncing. 

“Don’t worry honey, I’ll take care of her.” Hal began to pepper his boyfriend in kisses. The dog jumped out from between them, and Barry couldn’t help but laugh. She jumped around at their feet, excited by all the happenings. 

But now that they were in the store, Barry felt that exhaustion twice as hard. The store was less than an hour from closing and they were two of the last people in it and needed absolutely everything for their new dog. Hal had just picked her bowls out, larger than she was but he promised she would grow into them. 

She was happily bouncing in her bed, sniffing the air and wearing a collar that was also too big. They hadn’t fought the tag machine yet, a name not even starting to be chosen for her. Hal stopped Barry in his reading of bags by kissing his cheek.

“Don’t worry, most of it is the same shit anyway.” Hal said reassuringly. He paused and then grabbed a seemingly random bag and tossed it in their cart while Barry blew a laugh out of his nose.

“Fine fine, you’re the expert.” Barry said, not even able to keep the love out of his voice. 


End file.
